1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to article holders and supports. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a toilet paper roll storage compartment that includes a telescoping structure and one that allows for ready replenishment of a consumed roll for the user.
Toilet tissue paper is a consumable product that is dispensed on a regular basis for sanitary purposes. Toilet tissue is dispensed in roll form, wherein the roll is eventually exhausted and in need of a replacement roll. The act of replacing exhausted rolls with fresh quantities is a common chore in both the commercial and residential settings, and involves locating a replacement toilet tissue roll, removing and discarding the exhausted roll, and placing the replacement roll onto the dispenser. It is common for this activity to happen often in frequently used rest areas and in homes with larger families, as a quantity of the consumable product is used by each successive person for personal hygiene. The ability to locate replacement rolls is imperative during this process to prevent the unwanted situation of being left with no available replacement. The inability to find a replacement roll can be inconvenient and embarrassing to the user.
Toilet paper rolls are generally stored within a cabinet or storage bin for ready access and deployment. In the home, the rolls are usually stored within their packaging and in some proximity to the toilet to enable replenishment of an extinguished roll when required. In a commercial setting, it is common for the toilet paper rolls to be deployed in larger quantities and for the purveyors of the business to have the restroom serviced with replacement quantities of toilet paper on a regular basis. However, quite often one can find themselves without a ready replacement and few alternatives. Without a ready quantity of replacements stored in proximity to the toilet, one can be stranded without access to replacement rolls.
For those restrooms that accommodate this scenario and include quantities of replacement toilet rolls in proximity to the toilet, it is imperative to provide also a barrier or shroud around the rolls to prevent contamination or moisture contact with the unused rolls. A shroud prevents the unused rolls from becoming damaged or unfit for use prior to their deployment, while a shroud also eliminate the unsightly and obvious placement of excess toilet tissue loosely placed within the toilet area. To both improve aesthetics and to prevent wasted toilet tissue paper, a device is required that offers toilet roll storage in proximity to the toilet area, while also offering a clean and controlled means of supporting replacement tissue paper prior to their deployment on the tissue paper dispenser.
The present invention provides a tissue paper roll storage means that offers an expanding structure having suitable storage area and a design that suitable for use in both residential and commercial settings. The device comprises a wall-mounted, telescoping structure having an internal volume for supporting stacked replacement toilet tissue rolls. The structure provides a subtle yet very useful means of storing replacement tissue rolls, where the device is preferably deployed in proximity of a toilet such that a replacement roll can be accessed and replaced on the dispenser as necessary by a user. The design shrouds the replacement rolls from moisture, while reducing the need for regular servicing of the bathroom in terms of tissue paper quantities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to toilet paper roll holders and dispensers. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to combination dispensers and storage means, or those that have diverging intent or structures as related to the present invention. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 7,588,209 to Demers discloses a toilet tissue holder dispenser that supporting a plurality of toilet rolls within and upstanding structure and allowing communicating of subsequent rolls from stowed position to a ready position by translating their roll supports along a guide rail or slot in the structure. The guide rail secures the toilet paper roll supports therealong, whereby a plurality of rolls having roll supports are stacked, and an uppermost roll is slid along the guide rail into a working position, and thereafter slid along the guide rail to a second rail branch to stow the used toilet paper roll prior to replacement with a fresh roll. The Demers device describes a unique and useful toilet paper roll support, but provides a more elaborate structure and one that is suited to both store toilet paper rolls and deploy them for use. The present invention contemplates only storage of toilet paper for extraction for later use.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0180698 to Hensley discloses a toilet paper storage member comprising a sleeve portion for supporting a plurality of stowed toilet paper rolls, while an upper assembly supports a toilet paper roll for dispensing purposes. The upper assembly attaches to an insert that feeds into the sleeve portion and allows withdraw of the stowed toilet paper rolls for replacement of the used roll along the upper assembly. While disclosing a combination dispensing and storing device, the Hensley device fails to disclose the novel aspects of the present invention, notably its telescoping structure for storing spare toilet paper rolls prior to deployment.
Similar to the Hensley device, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0215187 to Owurowa discloses a toilet paper holder and dispenser, comprising a tower-like holder that stores a plurality of toilet paper rolls in a stacked configuration below a toilet paper roll head piece thereabove. The head piece comprises a dispenser that supports the toilet paper roll for allowing a user to withdraw toilet paper sheets from the supported roll, whereafter the stowed rolls can be moved into a working position when the head piece roll is exhausted. The head piece includes a flexible outer supports for the dispensed toilet paper roll rather than a through-rod. While disclosing a toilet paper storage device, the Owurowa device fails to disclose the structure of the present invention, which is directed to a telescoping structure apart from a bathroom toilet paper dispenser.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0126942 to McAndrew discloses a toilet paper storing sleeve having an elongated and tubular construction, a removable lid, and an internal pocket to store scented material for covering odor. Similar to the aforementioned prior art devices, the McAndrew device fails to disclose the structural features of the present invention that allow it to store a quantity of toilet paper rolls for later deployment on a dispenser. The present invention provides a collapsible structure that expands to accommodate different quantities of toilet rolls, wherein an administrator can visually see the number of remaining rolls within the device.
The present invention provides a clean and readily deployable structure for storing unused and replacement toilet tissue rolls for an attendant or user to deploy onto a toilet paper dispenser within a restroom. The device is expandable to store several rolls, while its structure is suitable for both commercial and residential use, avoiding the problems associated with dispensing the last tissue paper square without a ready replacement on hand. It is submitted that the present invention is substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing toilet tissue roll storage devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.